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Lahore: 20 localities getting contaminated water

THE Environment Protection Agency has said the water supplied by the Wasa to 20 localities of Lahore is highly contaminated and unfit for drinking as might cause gastro and other water-born diseases.

The EPA officials collected 27 samples of tap water from different parts of Lahore and sent them to its laboratory for examination.

The laboratory tests revealed the water being supplied to Lahorities was below the World Health Organisation guidelines and unfit for human consumption.

The Environment Protection Agency, in its report, has declared 20 out of total 27 samples randomly collected samples unfit for drinking.

The report adds, the water supplied by Wasa to various parts of Lahore has massive presence of residuals of coliform which, if found in a water supply, indicates human waste, animal waste, surface water, or other sources of contamination.

The Environment Protection Agency officials say the presence of coliform in water reflects the groundwater is being affected by surface water which could cause contagious diseases such as gastro, typhoid fever, cholera, hepatitis, dysentery, diarrhea and giardiasis etc.

After receiving results from its laboratory, the Environment Protection Agency dispatched a letter titled ‘Contamination of Drinking Water in Lahore’ to the Housing Secretary, the Wasa managing director, the Lahore Development Authority director general and the Lahore DCO on Wednesday, cautioning them about the contamination of most of the water samples.

The letter urged the water supplying agencies to take immediate measures to minimize chances of outbreak of water related diseases.

It also urged the agencies to use regular chlorination/disinfection of drinking water being supplied to the consumers in order to maintain residual chlorine in the water supply system, launch an awareness campaign to guide citizens to use boiled water to avoid health damages, particularly in the monsoon season, and guide the consumers to arrange proper cleaning and disinfection of overhead/underground tanks within their premises.

The Environment Protection Agency report says the water declared unfit for drinking has far less contents of Chloride and Fluoride while Coliform accompanying bacteria causing diseases are phenomenally high against the WHO guidelines.

According to the report, the water sample collected from Street Number 9, House No 2, Main Bazar Gunj, Mughalpura contains 13 ml Cliform against zero ml of World Health Organisation guideline, 35 mg Choloride against World Health Organisation guideline of 250 mg and 0.084 mg Fluoride against 1.5 mg of World Health Organisation guideline and is unfit for drinking.

When contacted, Director General EPA Miss Shaughafta said they were collecting more samples of water from Lahore to send to their lab. She said they had already conveyed directions to their district officials to start collecting water samples and get them tested from their labs.